This invention relates generally to an apparatus and process for assembling articles. Particularly, this invention relates to an assembly and process for stacking articles on a conveying surface. The apparatus and process of the invention relate particularly to the assembly of picture frames wherein the individual elements or parts of the frames are quickly and accurately transferred from respective supply magazines and stacked onto inverted frames on a conveyor.
The manufacture of picture frames has heretofore involved the manual placement of the picture frame parts within the frame periphery. For example, the manual assembly of picture frames has generally involved the manipulation of glass pieces into an inverted frame and the subsequent placement of sales sheets and backing boards into the frame confines and on top of the glass previously placed therein. These manual assembly steps have been found cumbersome and relatively slow. The assembly and process of the present invention provides an automated and continuous means of assembling picture frames which results in an efficient and accurate placement process of assembling picture frames.
Although prior art devices and processes have been utilized to transfer articles from storage magazines onto objects being conveyed on a conveying surface, none insofar as is known, has been utilized or proposed in the art to assembly picture frames in a continuous manner as provided by the apparatus and process of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembling apparatus and a process for the continuous and automated assembly of picture frames. It is a further object of the invention to provide a conveyor having a horizontal work surface and a pair of parallel and elongated line guides fixed above the conveyor for the movement of picture frame parts. It is still a further object to provide a plurality of work stations having a plurality of supply magazines positioned adjacent and within reach of the conveyor for the releasable storage of picture frame parts or elements to transfer the parts therefrom and onto the partially assembly frames.
Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a plurality of line stops in alignment with and as part of a plurality of work stations to thereby momentarily stop the partially assembled frames to receive additional elements from the respective supply magazines.